Conscience and Law
by Heddwyn McCloud
Summary: Jiminy may rethink his old saying "And always let your conscience be your guide" after he goes through this violent experience. He'll go around the Disney Kingdom, witnessing destruction and chaos. Rated T for violence; no sexual activity or bad words.
1. Chapter 1: Her Arrival

**No character in this chapter is the property of Heddwyn McCloud. They are all property of Walt Disney Animation Studios and their respective films.**

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><p><strong>Chapter I: Her Arrival<strong>

_When you wish to do things right_

_And do not know the laws you'll fight,_

_Everything the law requires_

_Will come at you._

_If your mind does not abide,_

_No torture will be denied_

_When you wish to do things right_

_As rebels do._

_(_chorus_) Justice is blind_

_She takes from those who defy_

_The sweet fulfillment of_

_Their different longings_

_Like a bolt out of the blue,_

_Justice comes and then subdues_

_Those who wish to do things right_

_The laaaaaw iiiiiiiiiiis truuuuuuuuuuuuue!_

Pretty dismal, huh? I bet some of you may believe this at times, but I've found out quite recently that conscience and law don't always go together . . . that, and I'm not the world's greatest lawyer . . . or investigator. Of course, I'm just a little ol' cricket trying to be the voice of reason to a certain young boy who's awfully curious and often wanders into trouble. Old Pinoc never disobeys the law, though . . . not intentionally, at least. He did go to school, and learned that it takes money to give an apple to a friend instead of taking one from the vendor; he did also learn that it isn't nice to fight girls even though he usually tussles with the other boys at his school. He gets along fine, and all I really have to do is remind him of what I told him from the beginning: "And always let your conscience be your guide!"I

That was her problem.

It all began almost literally with her arrival to the House of Mouse. It was an exciting night. The stars were shining like diamonds high above the roof of the gay little building, and the stars below were hanging around talking like any other night. There weren't any cartoons playing just yet because we were all waiting for the new arrivals: children, parents, friends and whatnot of everyone that's been here for a while.

A red carpet was rolled out inside; it twisted and twirled around every seat, making sure it reached every table for every guest. The tables were clear; even the candles had been taken off in case any of the new guests, particularly the children, had a fear of fire. The regular lights were off in favor of the spotlights that would be guiding them in.

The many toons that were there were minding their own business, for the most part; I saw from one of the balconies that they would periodically glance at the doors, waiting for someone new to arrive. Mickey constantly adjusted his bowtie, Donald had his shirt straightened out by Daisy every five minutes, and Minnie checked her watch every minute. Goofy was tending to the other guests, who would merely ask "when are they coming?"  
>As I stated before, I was in a balcony with Pinocchio watching, waiting for the new arrivals. The princes and princesses were down below ready to greet the newcomers, so we got the balcony to ourselves. Pinocchio was as excited as could be, feet dangling over and eyes glued on the doorway.<p>

"This sure is great, huh Jiminy?" Pinocchio's feet dangled faster as the time wore on.

"Yeah, sure is Pinoc," I replied. Indeed, meeting the new people excited me, but it also scared me. I knew that some children would be making their first appearance, and I wondered if any of them would be either scared or mischievous . . . or on the brink of evil.

A fear well-founded, if I may say so now.

D'ya think there'll be any kids my age?"

"Of course." I hopped onto his shoulder. "But I'd wait until they become comfortable here before you play with any of them."

"Why?"

I couldn't tell him the truth, now could I? If I did, and he told someone else, I may had been in a lot of trouble; on the other hand, if I told him and he lied about it, then I would've been failing him as a conscience. "Er, because, Pinoc, they . . . may be afraid and cause a ruckus. Yeah, that's why."

"Oh," Pinocchio said, taking his attention off of me and back onto the doorway. Suddenly, he began to hop up and down. "Look, Jiminy! They're here!"

Everybody heard him and perked up; Mickey fumbled with his bowtie one last time, and I had to jump off him to avoid falling off the balcony. Cameras from wonderland came out to take pictures, and the spotlights focused on the throng of limousines approaching. Max and the penguins rushed outside to greet the first limo, and every other one behind it.

Now if I were to describe how everyone entered through those doors, then this part of my tale would be too long. So, instead, I'll name them, as the person concerning this tale arrived lastII:

The fathers that arrived for the first time to the House of Mouse were Cassim, Aladdin's father, and a man known as "Papi," Kronk's father.

The mothers that arrived for the first time to the House of Mouse were a meerkat simply known as "Ma," Timon's mother, and Athena, Queen of the Seas and mother of seven princesses, including Ariel.

The newly-married spouses that arrived for the first time to the House of Mouse were John Rolfe, husband of Pocahontas; Madellaine, wife of Quasimodo; Mei, wife of Yao, King of the Rock; Ting-Ting, wife of Ling; Su, wife of Chim Po; a woman known as "Miss Birdwell," Kronk's wife; and Nita, wife and mate of Kenai.

The children that did not accompany their parents that arrived for the first time to the House of Mouse were Cody, an Australian boy who befriended Bernard and Bianca, and Ronno, who came from the same forest as Bambi.

The sons and daughters, including those adopted, that arrived for the first time to the House of Mouse were Kiara, Simba and Nala's daughter; Melody; Ariel and Eric's daughter; Jane and Danny, Wendy's children; Zephyr, Esmeralda and Phoebus' son; and Angel, Lady and Tramp's adopted

The villains were to come last, and everyone had already consciously decided to ignore their entrance. The princes and princesses, and even Mickey himself left the villains to themselves, allowing Maleficent to welcome them in. I too ignored the first few members, but Pinocchio was there, and he was just as interested as he was about the previous members.

"Look! That woman looks like Ursula, only thinner and paler!"

"Look! A Rottweiler!"

"Look! A stout Arabian man who walks like he's afraid of everything!"

"Look! An Australian man and a goanna!IV"

"That's nice, Pinoc," would always be my halfhearted response; my attention was on the other guests fixating themselves into the seats and into the crowd.

"Look! A Man with a powdered wig and a pale, gaunt face!V"

"Look! A crazy-looking purple mermaidVI"

"Look! A circusman! Wait . . . is he the good kind of circusman, Jiminy?"

"No, Pinoc," I said halfheartedly. "He's only a conman and a thief." I had heard of Sarousch's antics with the _La Fidele _bell in Paris; I would be especially careful around him with Pinocchio.

And then it began.

"Look," he said extra-joyously. "A lion and her cubs!"

"That's nice Pinoc-c-c-_cubs?_" I immediately whirled around and stared at the doorway. I must've been very loud, because everyone dropped everything they had and stared as well. Even Mickey double-took and ran to Maleficent's side, much to her disinterest. The only one who wasn't paying much attention was Scar, who was busy trying to have a conversation with a transfixed trio of hyenas.

Sure enough, just outside the doors were two lions and two cubs. The mother was a lean, semi-pale lioness with small, light-brown eyes (light enough to look red) and an eerily confident smile. The eldest lion (who, I later found out, was one of the children) was scrawny and fidgety, dark like Scar, but a lot more unkempt. They both were smiling and standing side-by-side.

But what got everyone's attention wasn't these two: it was the two behind them. One was smaller than Simba was as a cub, but was darker than Scar. He appeared to be a little frightened, even while he was behind his mother. The other one was a little larger, still smaller than Simba as a cub, with very golden fur (lighter than Simba's) and a smile almost like her mother's. She also, unlike and feline I've seen yet, she had a large tuft of hair in front of her face.

For a moment, the crowd just stared at the two; the littlest one hid behind the mother's legs, while the other one just smiled somewhat kindly.

"Good evening to you," Maleficent said just plainly enough to make everyone jump. "Welcome to the House of Mouse. I hope you will find this place to be to your liking."

"Why, thank you, mistress," the lioness said in a voice somewhat like the Mistress of all Evil, only a little more raspy and a little more . . . seductive. "My name is Zira, and this is my son." She gently pawed the little brown cub forward; I believe he shrunk as she leaned forward to look at him. "Kovu, say hello."

"H-h-h-h-h-hello," he spurted out in rhythm with his shaking.

"Hello," Maleficent said rather nonchalantly. I couldn't see how she looked at him, but I did see part of her iris wander over to the other children. "And who're they?"

Zira looked over her shoulder at the other two; she looked annoyed. "These are my other two children, Nuka and Vitani.

"_Hello_, madam," the one named Nuka greeted with a suave approach to the fairy. "Please to meet you."

"Charmed," she replied coldly. She then looked at the other one, Vitani.

"Pleased to meet you."

Now I don't know about anyone else, but those four words sent shivers down my spine. It was simple, with no over-the-top tone or hesitance. That wouldn't have bother me except for the fact that she didn't shirk in fear at the mere glance of the Mistress of all Evil! And it was a friendly 'pleased to meet you,' and not one of dominance!

And Maleficent must've noticed this as well. And she smiled; I nearly fainted. "I'm pleased to meet you as well, Vitani." She lingered over the cub for a few moments; I was about to hide in Pinocchio's pocket, but Maleficent stepped back. "You may proceed to your seats now."

"Thank y-"

"Woah woah woah, hang on a minute!" Mickey stepped forward and mustered the best smile that he could and said "You kids are not allowed to cause any trouble here, okay? We like to keep order around here." There was a brief commotion amongst the guests before they nodded in agreement.

"Yes, Mickey," Zira replied. "Come along, children. Your father is at table 8 waiting for us."

And so that's where it all began, on her arrival into the House of Mouse. As the cubs ran over to their father, and Zira walked proudly to her mate, and Nuka grumbled behind her, I could only guess at what disasters would follow.

And, even though I'm a fairly educated cricket, I never even came remotely close.

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><p><strong>That's is for this chapter. I apologize if nothing seemed to happen in this, but this is sorta an introduction. Also, I apologize for any and all spelling and grammatical errors I made; this is only a rough draft and will be corrected later, and anyone with a keen eye that can point them out will get a personal thanks in the next chapter.<strong>

**Also, I must make this clear: I have written on my profile that if I were to ever have pairing, it would be Sergeant Tibbs (101 Dalmatians) and Angel (Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure). These two will NOT have a romantic relationship in this fic. **

**Any suggestions and critiques are welcome.**

I In this fan-fic, Pinocchio is human and not a puppet.

II The author Heddwyn McCloud has not watched Tarzan II yet, so no character from that movie will appear in this chapter.

III Because Scamp was partially in the first movie, I did not include him in this ceremony.

IV This is Percival McLeach from "The Rescuers Down Under." I know this is technically canon, but it is a sequel and, therefore, I decided to put it here.

V This is Forte, from "Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas."

VI This is Marina Del Ray, from "The Little Mermaid 3: Ariel's Beginning."


	2. Chapter 2: The Jackass Rule

**Hello, readers! From this chapter onward, there will be a dedication, either to a special author, a particular fanfic, or a special person/invention.**

**I dedicate this chapter to my first completed fanfiction, "101 Dalmatians: The Hidden Dalmatian." I should not have taken it down. True, my character was a Mary Sue-ish person (I can't deny that she was perfect morally) and my plot meandered, but I should've kept it up to track my progress as a writer. Nice going, Austin (my name's Austin)!**

**Here's to regrets.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: The Jackass(i) Rule<strong>

The children all got along that night. Kiara and Kovu romped with Toulouse and Berlioz; Cody, Zephyr, Penny and Jenny ran around with Skippy and his friends; Scamp and Angel wrestled with Oliver, Dodger and their gang; even Lady's three daughters, who were usually calm and controlled, were taken over by the excitement of the newcomers and joined their new sister. Every child was running around, playing gleefully.

Everyone, that is, except for Vitani.

She was with her mother and older brother, watching her brother play with either a cheerful smile or a malicious smirk. Her tail swished lightly behind her, not enough to touch her preoccupied mother and brother. Whether she was happy or maybe jealous I don't know, and it unnerved me to even look at her . . .

Let alone go and talk to her.

But, after telling Pinocchio to go and play with Cody and that group, I floated down with my umbrella and landed at Pocahontas' table. She caught me on her finger and (while avoiding the wandering eye of Meeko) sent me on my way. After that, she and John Rolfe continued to snuggle, John Smith glaring close by.

They weren't too many tables apart—Pocahontas and Vitani, not John Rolfe and John Smith. The path to getting there, though, was strenuous for a guy my size; the kittens and cubs swatted at me (playfully, mind you) with their paws, I was almost caught up in the Dodger gang's whirlwind of wrestling, and The young humans almost didn't stop in time before bombarding me. Eventually I reached the table unscathed and almost breathless.

"Well well well," a deep sophisticated voice began as I landed. "If it isn't the voice of our youth, Jiminy Cricket. What brings you to our table?"

I'll admit that for a moment at first I was afraid; Scar leered at me as he came closer, no doubt expecting an answer. "Er, excuse me, Mr. Scar, but I came down to-"

"To what," Zira said as deep and sinister as her husband. My knees buckled as each of their eyes gazed at me, and I was sweating very much.

"I came to, uh, talk to your children," I squeaked. "*Clears throat* if it's not too much trouble."

Scar appeared disinterested, and Zira looked over to her children just as much when she coldly said "humor him."

"But mother-"

"_Just do it_," she hissed. Nuka backed away from her until she turned her attention to Scar, and then slouched down until his head was resting on the table, eyes staring at me. Vitani nonchalantly turned her head as well, appearing ever so calm.

"So," I began with a light chuckle. "Are you guys enjoying yourselves?"

"Meh," was Nuka's winded reply.

"Yes, we are," Vitani replied somewhat annoyed. "Thank you."

Her placid**(ii)** attitude made my breath grow short. "Don't'cha wanna go play with the other kids? Maybe your brother? Huh?"

She glanced at the two young cubs playing near her. For a moment her smile faded, and her eyes constantly switched from one cub to the other. She wasn't blinking as the two continued their romp oblivious to Vitani's staring. Then, as fast as she lost her smile, she turned at me with another smile and said "No, I'm okay."

I could only stare at her for a moment before blurting out "Are you sure?"

She merely shrugged. "Yeah, I'm alright, thank you."

I really had nothing more to say to her, but I didn't want to stop talking to her. Luckily, a distraction came just in time to break the awkward silence.

"Hi ho, gentlemen," the gruff vivacious voice of Captain James Hook yelled right behind me. "Would ye new children care fer a life of gallavantin' 'round the sea, seeing the world and engaging in cutthroat combat for treasure?"

Oh Hook. The one who started it all.

"Ye can see the far corners of the world, taking what ye will with no intent on returnin' it! Ye can live a carefree life without rules or morals, where yer crew become yer second family! Swashbuckles and naval combat leave ye with stories to impress the lasses, and if ye don't live then ye might as well be dead, and _dead men tell no tales!_" He finished by hoisting his sword up high, causing the little ones to shout in excitement.

"Now kids," I began, hopping onto Hook's shoulder; this was usually the time I'd intervene. "Y'know if you become a pirate, you'd have to leave your parents, right?" The new kids fell silent, even Vitani.

"Yes, but think of the pride and **treasure** ye can bring them when yer done!" That rekindled the cries of the children.

"But you can only see the world once," I said. "Once you make a bad name for yourself, you won't be allowed there anymore." That once again quieted them.

"But there's a lot to see, children, and making a name for yerself is better than not being there at all, right?" The kids were silent, skeptical. "Besides, ye'd be old by the time ye'd see everything, 'cause you'd never stop adventurin', right?"

"But what about our parents," Kiara piped up. The kids began to murmur in agreed confusion. "Won't they be dead?" That made a few gasp; Nala ran her paw along her head. "And what would that make us?"

"A fidgety old codfish like Captain Hook!"

_The one that started it all_.

Everyone looked up to see who said it; once they found him everyone except for Fidget the bat, Fidgety**(iii)** and a codfish from king Triton's underwater table cheered for the floating Peter Pan, staring daringly down at the now red-in-the-face captain.

"You don't want to grow up to be as old as he is! He's so old, he makes George Hautecourt look like a child!" He followed up with a fit of giggling that only increased as the children (and Mr. Hautecourt) joined in.

"Still prattling on about me age, Pan," questioned a beet-red Hook. "Why don't ya come down here and engage in a fair fight?"

"'Cause then I'd have to fight with my feet!" More laughter.

"Blast it, Peter," he cried, jumping and lashing out with his sword. "You need to stay out of me recruiting!"

"I have a better idea," Pan declared, diving down and taking the hat right off the Captain's head. Hook swung and missed again. "Why don't you come up here and _engage in a fair fight_?"

Hook leapt for the boy and swung his sword. "Have at thee, scurvy brat!" He swung two more times and then gave chase to the retreating-yet-laughing-uncontrollably boy.

That was when Mickey approached us from behind.

"Hey, kids," he addressed Zira's three. "You enjoying the show?"

"Yeah!" both Kovu and Vitani said as they watched Peter and Hook have at it.

"Well, you shouldn't worry too much about Peter," he said with a chuckle. "He'll be fine."

"And what about Hook," Kovu asked.

"Meh," he shrugged. "Hook's a bad guy, and Pan's a good guy. One of our rules is this: good guys can mess with the bad guys, but the bad guys can't hurt the good guys."

_And there it was: the rule that made this entire debacle happen. Good guys could mess with the bad guys; this included playful banter to teasing, right up to assault. Bad guys, though, could do no more than to tease the good guys. They could do no harm to the good guys on a physical or mental level, or even hurt their feelings._

_This rule, the one that started it all._

As time wore on, the fight between Peter and Hook continued, spurred on by cheers from both heroes and villains. And all the while, I couldn't help but notice Vitani's countenance change from excited to tranquil, even a little bothered. Her eyes followed Peter, squinting into a glare every time he lifted the red captain into the air only to release him and watch him fall. After a few more taunts from him, she began to growl every time he came close to her table. This confused me quite a bit.

At one particular moment, when her eyes widened and her teeth were clearly bared, I decided to continue the conversation. "What's wrong?"

"What," she said distracted.

"What's got you bothered," I ask as she took her gaze off of him and onto me; Peter flew over without any harm.

She looked away, neither to me or to Peter. "Nothing, sir."

I knew she was lying. "Peter can be a little rambunctious," I said nudging her. I was speaking the truth; at least in my opinion, Peter Pan was one of those boys that could get on one's nerves. Heck, I've even called him a jackass in the past a few times! "But he's good-hearted."

"And what about Captain Hook," she said in a half-angry half-confused tone. "He didn't mean to do anything wrong, was he?"

I chuckled. "That whole talk about 'gallavanting about' was nonsense. He just wanted you to join his force against Hook."

She gasped and gave the Captain a furious glare. "And Peter knew of this?"

I nodded. "This is a game they—or I should say he—plays."

"I see," she said quietly. "A game of deception."

I was silenced. There was no way to get her to join in the fun, simply because it really was a game of deception. She apparently wasn't the type of person that tolerated lying of any kind.

Which was odd, considering she was a villain.

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><p>The rest of the night went by in the same manner. Peter continued to torment with Hook for the rest of the night while the cartoons played (their feud became a hide-and-seek when the lights went off), and eventually other villains were poked at: Yzma began to arm wrestle with Mrs. Birdwell, while Cassim began to have a carpet chase with Jafar, and Cody began to ask 101 questions to Madame Medusa, much to her annoyance. Everyone else enjoyed the revelries.<p>

When all was said and done, though, the night wore on as it usually had. Everyone settled down as Mike**(iv)** closed off the show, and then they began to say their goodbyes to each other as they filed out of the club. There were no more harsh words or swings in the air; everyone was friendly to each other.

Everyone, that is, except for Vitani.

She was walking silently by her mother's side, eyes darting around at everyone. Her brother was in front of her, practically underneath his mother's chin. Scar wasn't following any of them, and Nuka was nonchalantly following his mother, opposite Vitani. Her head was downcast, giving her eyes a shadow that accentuated their intensity.

It was imperative for me to talk to her before she left.

"Jiminy!" Pinocchio was with his new friends searching for me. "Jiminy!"

I hopped onto one of the dirtier tables. "Hang on for one sec, Pinoc," I yelled. "I need to talk with someone!"

He saw me, smiled and waved. "Okay, we'll be waiting outside." With that, he, Geppetto, Figaro, Cleo and Lampwick headed to the throng of people lining outside.

I hopped over to where the lions were. They were oddly enough travelling in three groups: Simba, Nala and Kiara were in one group; Mufasa, Scar, Serabi and Sarafina were in another group; Zira, Nuka, Kovu and Vitani were in the group farthest to the back. They didn't make eye contact with each other, which made me a little uncomfortable, seeing as how close they were could've at least sparked some small talk. Eventually, though, I found Vitani and hopped onto her back; she didn't notice me land.

"Hey, kiddo," I said as cheerfully as I could. She perked up for a second and turned her head. "You all right**(v)**?"

She now took to staring at the floor while walking. "Yes."

I took a few steps forward, perching myself on her tuft of hair. "Don't let what happened earlier get you down. They were only playing around."

"Sure," she said almost inaudibly.

"Listen," I said, feeling the solemnity in my voice. "You don't have to go with the crowd. You can always do the right thing."

"Huh?"

"Just remember," I continued, hopping in front of her, stopping her. "To always let your conscience be your guide."

Her eyes widened, and she leaned in a little closer. "Always, let my conscience . . . be my guide?"

"Exactly," I said. "If you do that, you'll never be wrong."

She pondered that for a moment before being called by her mother. "I have to leave now. Thatnks for the advice, Mr . . ."

"Cricket's the name. Jiminy Cricket."

"Thanks, Mr. Cricket." With that, she ran off to her mother, looking somewhat confused and . . . downtrodden. She didn't make any more eye contact as the limousine closed and she went her own way, and I went with mine.

But we would meet again on a battlefield.

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><p><strong>Hi, everybody! Sorry I was gone for so long. Here's chapter 2. All reviews and critiques are welcome. I plan on stepping up the action in the next chapter. <strong>

**And thank you to NobodieZ and DayDreamer747 for reviewing my last chapter. Notes on this chapter are below me.**

**P.S. Do you think Fanfiction should allow, or at the very least attempt to put in, endnotes like the ones below me, but more "professional" like? Respond in my poll if you're interested in this question.**

i In this case, jackass is a donkey. I'm using this word because Jiminy Cricket used it in the 1940 film "Pinocchio."

ii TO ALL FANFICTION USERS: I'm unsure as to whether or not the word 'placid' best goes here. If you can think of a better word that can fit here, please tell me.

iii Fidgety, from my sources, is the ditzy elephant that wore blue in the movie _Dumbo_.

iv I do believe he's the microphone from the House of Mouse, the one that introduces and concludes the show. I also believe that this is the correct spelling of it. If I am wrong in either case, please tell me.

v TO ALL FANFICTION USERS: The reason I'm using the phrase 'all right' instead of 'alright' is because I see the phrase 'alright' as meaning 'then everything is good.' The dictionary I have next to me says that 'alright' is a disputed spelling of 'all right,' so I'm deciding to go with 'all right' to mean 'all good.'


	3. Chapter 3: Pick My Side!

**This chapter will personally be dedicated to DitzyMinx, one of my favorite 2 authors; your colorful and almost-tangible descriptions, coupled with humor and seriousness at the right times and a bit of history/mythology I learned, especially from P.o.P. have made me thoroughly enjoy your work.**

**To all readers: The reason my first dedication to myself was that the title of that chapter was "The Jackass Rule." I didn't want the person I was dedicating it to to feel like a jack-I mean fool, so I put in a mishap of my own to represent what a fool I was back in the day.**

**Anyway, the first part of this chapter, up until 'But we would meet again on a battlefield' was meant for the end of chapter 2. I will be posting this part on both chapter 2 and this one, and take it down from here on Wednesday, PST. Anyway, I'm sorry for the delay; I hope you enjoy this.**

**Also, the poll has been taken down.**

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><p><em>And they shall all return to tell their tale<em>

_About how they endured their own personal Hell_

_And eventually triumphed in their own little way_

_So they can enjoy all the rest of their days._

"Oh, Zodiacus_**(iii)**_," Flora said with a light chuckle. "That should sum up our new arrivals' stay here perfectly."

This was our Council of the Wise, a somewhat-uncreatively-yet-aptly-named place where we were to sit in a small three-rowed amphitheater, lit by a large hanging light bulb in the middle, reminiscing about how we and our friends and family were doing. It was secluded by stone walls and hanging vines, and a small waterfall, almost a trickle, was coming from one side and ran across small bricks fit into a circle to the center, where it disappeared from view.

"Let us hope for the safety of our newest brothers in their troubles," Chief Powhatan said standing, before taking a seat next to Chief Flying Eagle_**(iv)**_. "They will most certainly need it."

"A special congratulations for your daughter, Powhatan," Fauna replied, making three cups of tea appear for herself and her two other fairy comrades. "A fine wife she will make.

"I thought she would've been married to John Smith myself," Captain Amelia said lightly. "But I suppose whatever makes one joyful."

"It ain't exactly hedonistic, hun," Big Momma replied, perching herself lightly on Amelia's shoulder. "She chose who she wanted to be with, and she went with her heart." She then flew up to another guest. "Wouldn't you agree with that, dear?"

"Of course I would," Grandmother Willow replied, allowing Big Momma to perch herself on one of her branches. "She was guided by her own spirit, her _conscience_, if you will. And that's what you always say to follow, right Jiminy?" She asked with a humorous tome.

This was the first time that speech was directed to me. I was having a light conversation with Ms. Judson when I heard my name being called. "What?"

"Oh, look at him now," Willow said laughing. "Don't you always say "Always let your conscience be your guide?"

I cleared my throat; I'm sure I was blushing after everyone began to laugh at me. "Yup, that's what I always tell Pinoc."

"But let's not forget the protection of the guardians," Great Fa_**(v)**_ said.

"Oh, yes," the Archdeacon of Paris nodded. "We should not excuse their divine aid."

Most of the people there nodded in agreement, and soon everyone went on with their conversations. Mama Odie and George Hautecourt both reminisced about their glory days (George boasting about watching the Civil War and Mama Odie reminiscing about her pilgrimage to what was to be New England_**(****vi)**_); Zoldwell_**(vii)**_ and Amelia talked about intergalactic peace; Kuzco was trying to flirt with 'the Enchantress of France' while the Emperor of China, Tanana and Kashekim Nedakh was trying to get a word in edgewise; King Richard, Mufasa, and Bagheera talked about their respective kingdoms or domains; Mr. Stork, the Great Prince, Owl and Big Momma were talking about their growing 'babies' Dumbo, Bambi, Christopher Robin and Tod; Dallben and the Archdeacon talked with Powhatan and Flying Eagle about matters I did not catch; Yensid, the Fairy Godmother, King Triton and Zeus and the Blue Fairy were talking with the three fairies about matters in a language I could not decipher; Jock, Colonel and Rita lounged about and remained silent, observing everyone else.

Myself, Mrs. Judson (from London) and Lucky Jack were together on our own, unnoticed by anyone else; Lucky Jack was, after all, a west-side-story in himself, while Ms. Judson was only a representative of Basil and Dawson, and I was the conscience dubbed by the Blue Fairy.

"Them dairy cows're having themselves a great time," Lucky Jack chuckled. "They' enjoyin' themselves with them bulls on the farm, y'know wh'I mean?"

Ms. Judson shook her head. "Stop being so fresh, Jack!" He issued a cackle. She then turned to me. "So, how're things in the village?"

I shifted in my seat a little; she grabbed my hand. "It's honestly going swell, which is to say the children are learning and behaving . . . most of the time." I sighed. "Soon, Pinocchio won't need a conscience anymore; he'll be all grown up and have to rely on himself. He won't need me anymore."

Ms. Judson put her other hand on mine. "Have you grown attached to him, dearie?"

I could only shrug. "I would think so. I was merely a drifter before meeting him, and it scares me to think of what'll happen once he grows up."

"Of course he's going to grow up," Ms. Judson replied patting my hand. "It's what all children do."

"She's right." We turned to see the Blue Fairy sitting behind me, her finger slowly coming to my antennae. "He will grow up, but you have a whole generation of children to teach after that."

I could only utter a slight chuckle. "You mean I won't be retiring?"

It was her turn to chuckle. "Of course not. You're still a conscience."

"I'm still _Pinoc's_ conscience," I corrected. "That'll be over soon, though."

"In about eight years, darling," Flora interrupted. "And even then humans can be fickle."

"I know," I said regretting I brought it up. It had been a lingering fear, though, losing Pinocchio. We'd been pals for about a year now, and he really grew on me. "What'll I do after he's gone, though?"

George Hautecourt intervened in between me and Lucky Jack. "It sounds like you need some other sort of . . . preoccupation," he wheezed.

"Like what," I asked halfheartedly.

Georges mused to himself, drumming his fingers against his chin before uttering a chuckle. "How about that lion cub you were talkin' to tonight?"

"Which one," Mufasa, situating himself behind me, said calmly. "Certainly Kiara may need a guardian, more than the meerkat and warthog."

I had already begun to become nervous with Georges bringing it up, and Mufasa getting involved made my knees buckle. "Uh, no s-sir. I didn't talk with Kiara tonight."

"Oh?" Mufasa raised an eyebrow. "Then who did you talk with?"

This only served to make my breathing faster and my perspiration more obvious. "Uh, Z-Zira's daughter, your majesty." I gave an involuntary chuckle.

The mention of Vitani made almost everyone stop immediately; Kuzco only turned once he realized the Enchantress stopped paying attention to him. The Blue Fairy frowned, and Mufasa narrowed his gaze; I backed away slowly. "I didn't know you were the one to strike a conversation with villains, Jiminy."

"Oh, come now Mufasa," Rita butted in, strutting next to him. "I wouldn't say she has the qualities of a villain yet."

"**You** haven't seen her," he said rather crossly; I hid behind Lucky Jack's ear. "She's as black-hearted as my brother."

"All the more reason for him to watch over her," Bagheera said. "She still has a chance to turn a new leaf, if I may say so myself."

"I have to agree," Triton began before being interrupted by Mufasa.

"I remember telling my son 'remember who you are. You are my son, and the one true king.' That's what she must also do. Remember who she is: the daughter of a murderer and a plotter!"

"She's still young," the Blue Fairy objected. "She can still be taught right from wrong."

"I have to side with Mufasa on this one," Big Momma interjected. "Elimination comes from a lack of education, and she's being taught that avenging her fallen father is right."

"It's a simple war tactic," the Colonel ambled into our group. "Changing her viewpoints would require something close to propaganda."

Mufasa slammed his paw downward, launching me into the air and close to the entrance. "What she needs is the law to keep her out of the Pridelands, along with all the other Outlanders!"

"That would be the best thing to do," the Colonel said.

"How can you be so heartless?" Merryweather waved her wand in front of the Colonel's face; he became increasingly annoyed.

"And what did she do to you in the first place," the Archdeacon yelled, pointing a finger threateningly at Mufasa, "other than being born to the wrong person?"

"You're guided by either good or bad spirits!" Powhatan pointed his staff threateningly at the Frenchman. "And her spirits are raising a child of evil warfare!"

"Oh, dear," Mama Odie mumbled to herself. "She can't realize that what she wants isn't what she needs. She needs a better upbringing, and that's what she can claim through warfare."

The events at that particular meeting appeared as though there would be a full-scale war between them, and I wanted no part of it. I grabbed my top hat and umbrella and hightailed it outta there.

And as I was running away from the scene, all I could think of were Big Momma's words:

_". . . She's being taught that avenging her fallen father is right."_

I shuddered.

"Pardon me, Mr. Cricket?" I skidded to a halt and turned around to see Mr. Stork walking behind me, keeping up leisurely. "Would you happen to want a ride home?"

"If you can spare it, Mr. Stork," I panted. He swept me up onto his hat and proceeded to take off.

"Things are getting out of hand there," he said with a tinge of worry.

"Violent?"

"No," he said. "Not when I left, at least."

"Well, let's hope they forget about Vitani before this turns into warfare."

He didn't reply, so I was left to 'enjoy' the remainder of the trip. The takeoff took us in the direction where we could see the second star to the right, wherewe could've flown straight on 'til morning to see Neverland.

Neverland, the first battlefield.

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><p><strong>That's it for chapter 3. I have a lot of endnotes for this chapter; please be sure to check them out. Also, I have a personal thanks for Drama sapphire for reviewing chapter 2. <strong>

**I said there may be action here, but this chapter didn't really call for it. Sorry.**

**To William Stock: I only have one line for Mama Odie, but I was wondering if I wrote her dialog correctly. What do you think?**

**I'm personally not satisfied with this chapter; it didn't feel philosophical or epic enough. Still, this is a rough draft, so reviews and critiques are both welcome. I will be making an attempt at updating every Saturday (PST), and I truly apologize if I don't make this happen.**

i I do believe he's the microphone from the House of Mouse, the one that introduces and concludes the show. I also believe that this is the correct spelling of it. If I am wrong in either case, please tell me.

ii TO ALL FANFICTION USERS: The reason I'm using the phrase 'all right' instead of 'alright' is because I see the phrase 'alright' as meaning 'then everything is good.' The dictionary I have next to me says that 'alright' is a disputed spelling of 'all right,' so I'm deciding to go with 'all right' to mean 'all good.'

iii Zodiacus is the Latin origin for the word 'zodiac,' which is what surrounded the Magic Mirror in "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." Therefore, and only for this reason, this is what I'm calling him. I'm unsure if he has a set name or not, even in the original tale, so this is what I'm going with.

iv Because the indian in "Peter Pan" named Peter 'Little Flying Eagle,' and because I'm not sure whether he has a name in the original story, I'm naming him Chief Flying Eagle.

v I have absolutely no idea how to reference the ancestor with the staff in "Mulan." If anyone can help me out here, you'll receive a VERY special thanks in the next chapter.

vi George Hautecourt was over 80 years old when "The Aristocats took place in 1910, and the Civil War took place from 1861 to 1865 (according to Wikipedia); Odie was 193 (I think) when her movie took place in 1926 (again, according to Wikipedia), making her born in 1733.

vii The Councilwoman alien from "Lilo and Stitch" was voice by Zoe Caldwell, so I combined her first and last name to get her name


	4. Chapter 4: The Temporary Pact

**Hi, everybody! I must apologize for my long absence. I have taken care of my history midterm today, and am uploading another chapter today. I'm sorta satisfied with this draft chapter. To Kuann: I attempted to take your advice; if you still see mistakes made in this chapter, please point them out. And thanks to all who reviewed the last 3 chapters; I'll try to upload weekly now.**

**This chapter will personally be dedicated to my other favorite author, William Stock: you do have some rough spots, but I like your plots most definitely, and I hope to read more from you in the future, if you decide to read on.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 4: The Temporary Pact<strong>

The rest of my time back at Italy was bland compared to my tale. I continued to teach Pinocchio about right and wrong whenever he strayed with the small stuff, and Geppetto continued to mentor him in how to be a . . . a man. Yeah, folks, the stage of learning how to be a boy was over, and learning how to be a man was Geppetto's top priority for him now.

He's only ten, for Pete's sake!

But I digress. The next meeting at the House of Mouse (there's an invitation every week) was the second day for the newcomers, and little had changed from last time, if anything at all. Scar did seem more distant from his family (except for his "son" Kovu), but that was about it.

I think that's how it was allowed to begin.

I was sitting at the usual table saved for Pinocchio and myself, along with Geppetto, Figaro and Cleo. Pinocchio was interested in talking with Zephyr, while Geppetto was talking with Papi about their sons and growing up. I didn't want to hear any of it, so I instead turned my attention over to Vitani . . .

That is, tried to. I was intercepted by the Great Prince himself.

"Evening, Jiminy," He greeted in his unusual deep-yet-friendly tone.

"Evenin', Mr. Great Prince," I said trying to crane my head past him.

He didn't show any signs of irritation; he slowly stepped closer to me, to where I could do nothing but stare up at those nonchalant eyes and nose pointing down at me, or else look at his massive frame. "Jiminy, your conversations with this 'Vitani' lioness have caused somewhat of a debacle in the Council."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, _really_," he said sternly; his nose looked like it was ready to strike, the way it hovered and wavered. "Some of us, like Mr. Stork, Lucky Jack and myself have taken a passive position on this matter, while a _lot_ of others went with either Mufasa's or the Blue Fairy's side.

"It's obvious you wish to continue your meetings with her," he continued with a sigh. "But I'd watch out; this seems to be an entirely out-of-proportion situation now, and any careless phrase you may utter may bring you to your _second_ demise."

I gulped. I could now feel the gravity of this situation; I certainly didn't want to die from all of this. "Who should I watch out for?"

He closed his eyes and let out another sigh, this one longer. "'Trust' isn't what you need to worry about. It's more like who would not approve of you talking to Vitani . . . or oppose strongly, I should say. Mufasa most definitely objects, and Richard, Kashekim, Powhatan and Zeus are all by his side. Amelia and Zoldwell both agree as well, and that Enchantress, along with Tanana and Mama Odie, wish to have her taught by a villainess, so she can go through that 'change of heart' or something. Big Momma disagrees with those three, saying instead that 'the natural laws of territory would make sure she would be hostile to any sort of heroes,' that her education is intended to keep her from 'elimination,' or something like that. I think that about covers who's against you—"

"Balderdash!" We both turned to see the Colonel ambling over to us; the Great Prince tensed a bit. "You forgot to mention that rowdy boy Kuzco, with his wish of keeping 'the good things good and the bad things away from him.'"

". . .And yourself, Colonel."

He raised his tuft of hair to stare at the venerable deer. "I don't pretend to take this as a light matter, Prince. Indeed, a child in the care of villains is dangerous, though not unheard of; Rapunzel and Gothel had experienced the same thing. The major difference between them is that Gothel didn't intend to use her "daughter" for any sort of evil, whereas Zira is trying to use Vitani to take down Simba, as has been reported by Mufasa. That sort of "brainwashing" or whatever you'd call it is only taught as the righteous path, and Vitani will accept that path. If we try to dissuade her, she may see us as an enemy, and attack us. Children are not fickle, Jiminy-"

"I would disagree, my friend." We all turned to see Bagheera walk next to the Great Prince; the deer began to switch his gaze to each of them, almost frantically. "Children are quite easily persuaded."

"Tut!" Colonel spat out. "That Mowgli of yours went with his instincts when he chased that 'Shanti' girl into the man-village! None of that friendship you had could stop him from pursuing her."

"But that didn't completely hold his attention," Bagheera countered. "His imagination led him back to the jungle later on."

"But that isn't a change in principle!" The Colonel's face came closer to Bagheera's, issuing a staredown; the Great Prince's eyes darted quicker now. "That's merely homesickness!"

"But it shows that children have an ability to change!" Bagheera's voice rose, gaining some of the other patrons' attention.

"If they see that what they're doing is wrong!" He then leaned in dangerously close to him. "_Or if they fall into foolish temptations_."

At this point, Bagheera had had it. I had never seen so much anger in him, and I never wish to again. He let out a deafening roar that sent everyone at my table and around me underneath the tablecloths; I was petrified with fear. Even the Colonel and the Great Prince jumped back, but then the Colonel crouched down and began to growl. Bagheera mimicked him, and they stared down each other, Bagheera's growl being deep and strong, the Colonel's being deep and raspy with age. The entire House was rapt with attention.

And just as they were about to lunge at each other, the Great Prince put his hoof between the two. "That is enough, you two!"

"Outta the way, Prince," Bagheera seethed.

"This is between me and him," the Colonel barked.

"I said **that is enough!**"

But they wouldn't have it. The Colonel ran into the Prince, knocking him back and the air out of him. Bagheera lunged in after both of them, teeth bared and claws out, and the Colonel swiped a paw at him.

It was at that point that the House of Mouse finally awoke.

The next moment, Simba and Rajah had Bagheera pinned down, while Tramp, Dodger and Pongo had the Colonel on the ground. Yensid limed over both of them, ending any struggle they may've thought of putting up.

"That is enough," the venerable wizard said slowly. "You two are to return to your tables and not speak to each other tonight. Is this understood?"

Rarely anyone went against Yensid; both of them nodded quickly, and then the fight was over. Both lingered for a moment, staring at each other maliciously, before returning to their tables. I let out a deep sigh as I recovered my senses. Then I redirected my attention to the Great Prince.

"Are you all right?"

He stifled a grunt. "I'll be all right, Jiminy." He then let out a long breath, and tensed down. "So you see, Jiminy, the Council is split about your interactions with Vitani. You'll do wise to exercise caution."

"Am I able to trust you, oh Great Prince," I asked quietly.

He stared at me almost as he had before. "This changes nothing. I will still allow nature to take her course until this is over . . ." he continued with a grunt. "Which I hope will be soon."

We were both interrupted by a hand being place above the Prince's bruised side. "Oh, you poor dear," said the voice of Kanga. "Come, dear, I'll help you with that bruise you have."

"Thank you, Kanga," he said rather politely. They both walked away together, the Great Prince giving me one last look before departing with Kanga, otherwise unnoticed.

For some reason, that was when Vitani decided to get up.

It was when the villains were making their entrance. Captain Hook was one of the first ones in, ambling and wobbling, drunk. He didn't pay any of his fellow villains any attention as he slumped in his seat

She went straight for the captain as he sat down. Still no one looked at them, save myself, Mickey and . . . Maleficent? I couldn't tell where her attention was, but she did seem to have a wandering eye. In either case, Vitani didn't notice; she was too busy striking up a conversation with Hook.

And I couldn't help but try to overhear them.

I left the comfort of my table and attempted to walk over to her (I had feared that hopping would've brought too much attention). At first I could hear tidbits of their conversation, such as

"…The best of friends…"

"…Never bored…"

"Not to last, my dear…"

And soon I was there, hiding under Smee's seat. Just as Hook was letting out a sigh, and taking a swig of his rum, the conversation was ruined by the ever-jaunty Peter Pan.

"Avast," he began in a mock-pirate growl. "Ye shan't be talking to this old man, lass, lest ye wish to see him turn to dust in front of ye." He let out a hearty laugh and began to float away. Vitani let out a deep quiet breath and continued listening to Hook's conversation.

"And then we went into Skull Rock, where we had buried our treasure, and-"

"**Hello!**" Peter Pan's voice boomed over Hook's. "I think you've let the codfish gasp for air enough! C'mon, and let him go back to his ale."

But Vitani just glared at him before silently looking back at Hook. "Please continue with your story."

"What?" Both Pan and Hook asked together. "Whatever," Peter suddenly said, feigning disinterest. "You can go ahead and talk to your own kind. I don't care." With that, he flew away.

Vitani merely shook her head, and Hook, not waiting for her to look back, continued.

"Anyway, we went to Skull Rock where-"

"Captain," she said calmly; he chuckled and took his hat off gracefully. "If you would please finish your story another time; I've heard enough."

I jumped a little as Smee gasped, and Hook took on a look not of anger, but of sadness. "Oh . . . well, then, I'll just-"

"I've come to a conclusion, Hook," she said straightforward. "I'll join your crew."

I could feel my heart stop at this. _What? Did I just hear her right?_ Hook, Smee, and even some of the crew were wide-eyed, mouths agape. But slowly, and surely, the captain's mouth closed, and formed into a smile that could only signal the dark days where Hook actually had a say-so in the world of fearmongering.

"Well then, my dear," he said in a smooth tone that felt like it was ready to lunge out and revel in a victory yet keeping its composure for his lackeys. "If you'll just, er, put your pawprint here." He produced an old roll of paper with a flick of his wrist, and presented her with a bottle of ink.

She looked at it for a moment; I could only catch a glance at it, but I did read the word "soul" in there. I nearly fainted.

"For one day, though," she said sternly. "I will only be there for one day. That should be enough to prove if Peter deserves his fate or not."

Surprisingly, Hook made the amendment immediately upon request. "Here you go, my dear. One day in me ranks."

I could only watch on in silence as, pirate eyes gathering around them, as Vitani lay her paw onto a pool of ink, and bore her signature on Hook's contract. Everyone at the table, except for Vitani and I, cheered quietly for her. And as I was about to leave in disgust, my gaze connected with Vitani's. She smiled and nodded at me.

It was then that my world went black.

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><p><strong>That's it for this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.<strong>

**And to the March Hare: I'll get to your story Sunday. Apologies that I can't do it sooner.**


	5. Chapter 5: Your Advice!

**Hi guys. Sorry I took this chapter down before. It was really REALLY bad. Unfortunately, this is the same chapter. It's not allowing me to make changes right now [X(], so this is what I have to work with right now. I know it has a lot of plotholes, but I have to leave soon, so they'll be addressed next Saturday. I apologize to all my readers for this atrocity.**

**-And to William: You might've blocked me from messaging you, so I couldn't tell you this. Either way, I can't message you.**

**Now back to business: I have two dedications; I was going to have one, but this is important.**

**The first is to "The Sergeant's Wedding" by Gabriel-San, the first story I ever reviewed. I still think it to be a great piece, and I was very foolish to try to try to critique it at such a young age. X)**

**Note: If you plan to read it, it does contain segments of homosexuality.**

**My second one is to the March Hare of Hatter and Hare Productions, for unintentionally giving me a breakthrough in my story that WILL come later (and that will explain quite a bit). Thank you, and I hope to read much more of VIP (and something from the Hatter :).**

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><p><strong>Chapter 5: Your Advice!<strong>

When I came to, everything was dim.

A candle burned just brightly enough for me to get a good look at my surroundings. I was in a room that was barely big enough for a human, resting on a hammock rocking back and forth on its own. There were a few things scattered here and there, all of which was well-organized despite their apparent antiquity. That didn't take away the factor of how it smelled, though; a dozen empty bottles reeking of alcohol, an old filth-covered washrag, and what reeked—and felt—like years of sweat on the hammock made me a bit dizzy. The rocking of the room didn't help much.

_Wait, _I thought to myself. _A moving room?_

There was a round window to my right, and I could see that stars were already out, and the sky was midnight black. Then I saw the stars moving, like they were passing us by. _Oh no, _I groaned inwardly. "I can't be seeing things now, can I? Where am I anyways?" More out of panic than out of curiosity, I climbed to the edge of the hammock and was getting ready to reach for the window when . . .

"Don't go out there!"

I froze where I was (in midair) and missed the window by a good inch. I recovered my senses just quickly enough to open my umbrella up, settling me to a safe landing. There, across the room, separated by the hammock, was Vitani.

And although she didn't have the same calm demeanor as she had the first night, she didn't seem at all disturbed by a rocking room and sliding stars!

"Where are we?"

She took a deep breath, and let out a long sigh. "We're on Captain Hook's ship."

I gasped, and fell as the room—and subsequently the ship—dipped. "Hook's ship? You mean **the Captain James Hook**? How did this happen?"

She tried talking to me for a bit, but I was too frantic to comprehend anything. Luckily, she waited for me to wear out, and then she began again. "When you fainted, you didn't fall from the fat man's hat, and your relationship with Hook was . . . not the best, if I recall, so I didn't call you out. You actually fell in his dinner, and you somehow went unnoticed by everybody, so when the cook was cleaning those dishes, I managed to snag you and carry you away and to here. That was a few hours ago, though."

At this point I had regained a little bit of my senses. I began to regain a bit f my composure and breath. "And you couldn't find anywhere better to take me?"

She shook her head, and broke eye contact with me for the first time. "I-I thought this would be the safest place for you. These rooms aren't being occupied by Hook's crew; they're all getting ready for the attack."

I froze. "What attack?"

She chuckled carelessly-yet-maliciously. "The attack on Peter Pan and his 'Lost Boys'."

My heart began to beat faster, and I began to breathe harder. "**That attack**?" I asked in a frantic tone. "B-b-but you can't kill him! He's-"

"I don't mean to kill him," she interjected. I breathe a sigh of relief before she continued with, "I won't decide that."

The panic almost came back, and another violent dip from the room nearly made me vomit. "What?"

"That's Hook's decision. I'm merely here to help capture him."

At this point I could take no more. An almost vertical rise and the possibility of Peter Pan dying forced me to puke right there in front of her. When I finished, she had left the room.

"Hey, wait a minute!" I yelled, hopping after her. She hadn't gone far; just outside the door, probably to wait for me to finish. "You can't do this?"

"Why not?" She sounded cross, and I stepped back.

"Because it's not the right thing to do." I was sure of one of two instances occurring at that moment: either Vitani would stop to think of her actions, or she would plunge headfirst into villainy, accepting her fate as an evil entity.

Neither happened.

"No, it is the right thing to do," she said louder and angrier. "Peter has wronged Hook before, don't you see? He took his hand and fed it to a crocodile for fun! And he's killed people too**(I)**! I know that this place we're going to, Neverland, is meant for kids to enjoy themselves,. But if Peter is willing to kill for fun, then when will he turn on his own? When will he turn on everyone else when he has no one left?"

"You're overthinking it, Vitani," I said reassuringly-yet-frantically. "Peter may be a little violent when he plays around, but he's not going to go into a fit of rage and kill everybody!"

"All the same," she said bitterly, "Peter will soon become a tyrant, a ruler of an island meant for no king. He must be stopped."

"And why should you be the one to do anything? Hook hasn't succeeded, so why should you give it a shot?"

"Because I'm letting my conscience be my guide!"

That stopped everything. The ship continued to rock up and down, the hallway continued to remain occupied by us two and no other, but our conversation stopped for a few good seconds.

Either that, or my heart and time stopped.

"Isn't that what you wanted?" She asked me, her voice wavering. "To let my conscience be my guide? Well, my conscience is telling me that the Disney Kingdom allowing this sort of corruption and dominance to happen isn't right. Somebody has to do something, and if I can do this, defeat Peter Pan and possibly end this needlessly violent feud, then . . ." she trailed off.

"Then what?" I was surprisingly more compassionate than I felt was necessary.

"Never mind," she said, returning to her placid demeanor. "I gotta go. We need to think of a strategy for the battle."

"Wait!" I hopped onto her shoulder**(II)**. "I'm coming with you."

"But you may be seen!"

"As long as you're taking my advice," I began as she began to walk towards the outside, "I might as well try to guide you in the 'right' direction."

"But you don't look or sound like you know anything about fighting." She sounded a little worried for my sake.

"You may say you don't want to kill him, but I fear otherwise. The least I can do is keep you to your word."

With that, we silently walked to the door that would lead us to the crew of Captain James Hook. My heart was beating faster with each step, while Vitani stayed collected as she had been before. The ship had stopped bobbing, and steadily made its way in one direction, telling us that we were almost to Neverland. I had to brace myself for the possibility that I may witness a death soon, either by Vitani's claws or Hook's saber or any other way imaginable. I immediately felt like vomiting again.

When we opened the door, we were greeted with a gust of wind, lights flying past us, and a distant view of the many rainbows of Neverland. The stars were zooming past us, and Neverland became larger by the second. I heard Vitani give a little gasp when she first saw it, and we stayed there at the doorway, watching it become larger in front of us.

"So," she said quietly. "This is what it's like to fly."

"Yeah," I whispered.

We stayed there for a few more seconds before Vitani began to walk towards members of the pirate crew, forcing me to hide in her tuft of hair. I could see through it, though, and they were just sitting there, some on barrels, some in hammocks, some on crates, all looking at the landscape without much emotion.

Standing at the very front of the boat, accompanied by his boatswain Mr. Smee, was Hook. He didn't take his attention off Neverland for an instant; who knows what he was thinking at that instant.

"Captain!"

He turned slowly, and I could see a grin forming across his face. "My dear, did you get the rest you needed?"

"Yes," she said quickly. "What's our strategy, Captain?"

He raised an eyebrow, and gave a small chuckle. "We wait until we spot Peter, then we fire our cannons at him."

"And if he manages to dodge those, Captain?" Her voice shifted from being subordinate to being skeptical.

"Then we wait for him to come here and engage in a duel between him and his Lost Boys."

"Wait a minute," she said quickly. "You mean to say that you just _wait_ here for him?"

"Well . . . yes."

"Didn't you tell me that the only two times you had him was when **you** went out to get **him**? When you had another plan?"

"Well . . ." That had made Hook rub his chin with his hook. "What would you suggest, my dear?"

She didn't answer immediately, but after a while she began. "Back at home, every one of the pride is responsible for something. Some of us scare our prey to run in a certain direction, while others are to wait, spread out in that direction, to make sure they don't get away. In either position, there's a function that each member has.

"It sounds like you just wait here at the sea for him. That's fine, I guess, if you're trying to protect something like elephants do their young. If you're trying to catch him and his 'OST Boys', then you need to go on the offensive, covering as much ground as you can. Don't get me wrong, having a battle at sea is fine, but there really isn't a place to hide out here besides inside, and it isn't a good place to fortify in my opinion."

As she was explaining this, most of the crew had gathered around her, and Hook had made Smee write all of it down. Once she was done, Hook turned to the approaching waters; I could hear waves crashing in the distance.

"So," Hook began quietly. "Leave the ship and spread out."

"I'd suppose so," she said, a little bit unsure. "I'm not familiar with fighting on the water, but this isn't a siege; this is a capture. Divide and conquer."

Hook didn't look back. "Create a set of algorithms to encompass all positions and situations." His voice became increasing higher and more vibrant. Then, in an instant, he whipped around and took out his saber.

"All right, ye bunch of bilge rats! Once we hit the waters, launch the boats and paddle to shore, then occupy the entire landscape! The mermaid lagoon, skull cave, blind man's bluff, leave not one space unoccupied!" He thought for a moment, then added, "Stay away from the Indian territory! We can't afford to fight them today."

"Vitani, I personally want you on land, following Smee," he said gesturing towards Smee, "to Hangman's Tree. That's their hideout. Understand?"

"Affirmative," was all she said.

As the conversation ended, the ship shook violently, sending water everywhere. I hung on to Vitani for dear life as it quickly slowed to a halt. Immediately afterward, everybody save a few ordained to stay on the ship raced to the small boats and raced down to the waters. Vitani and Smee also raced to lifeboat, while Hook went with another group.

"Are you sure you want to come along, Jiminy?" She asked one last time.

"There's no point in turning back now," I said, now fully resolved to coming along and helping **her** out in any way I could.

"We need to hurry," Smee said, glancing at his pocket watch. "The House of Mouse is approaching closing time!"

And with the lowering of the boat, the first battle had begun.

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><p><strong>Next chapter, the duel between Peter Pan (and crew) and Captain Hook (and crew) begins, and this fic officially kicks off. Sorry for the slow beginnings, but I usually take 3 chapters to build some suspense before going into action. Sorry, but that's just me. Until next weekend, ladies and gents! <strong>

**I I've read that Peter Pan has killed people in Neverland I think in the original J.M. Barrie book.**

**II Do quadrupeds even have shoulders?**


	6. Chapter 6: Battle of Neverland, Part I

**Hello, fellow reader. If you're reading this, I must inform you that as I have only recently begun to practice writing again, the writing style I have now is severely underdeveloped and weak. I do not know if you'll enjoy it, but I will say that this is probably far from my best work (I certainly hope so). If you do take the time to read this, please don't get your hopes up too high; I aimed to please, but I may very well disappoint.**

**I must apologize for taking so darn long on updating this. I must say that I am not AT ALL satisfied with this, and I would like to thank William Stock for bringing to my attention the poorly-thought-out battle plan from my previous chapter; you will no doubt notice my struggles with that in this chapter. For Kuann, you probably will also find that my dialogue is again nebulous, but I will work on fixing that. I apologize for keeping you all waiting.**

**And since I'm angry at how I've been writing my story, I'd like to recommend Hatter and Hare Productions' "VIP: The Villain Improvement Program," an infinitely better multi-Disney-world story.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 6<strong>

**Battle of Neverland**

**Part 1**

As I tell you our tale, I suddenly have a longing to go back. Neverland was a place where Pinocchio could wear himself out whenever he felt rambunctious beyond control, and him and I always had a swell time. Facing Captain Hook from time to time with him was, I'll admit, dangerous, but it was always amicable fighting; he knew the rule that heroes couldn't be harmed, so Hook took his defeat with no sense of shame.

But now it was different. Vitani's story in life was still happening, so she wasn't tethered by that rule. Of course, that was because everyone who had come to the Disney Kingdom prior had more experience in combat and politics, so they had no worries about keeping the "younger generation" (If Morgana could be called that) in line. This newfound ambition manifested in Vitani would be something new for the peaceful kingdom.

We were making our way to Hangman's Tree, following Smee and a few other pirates across Crocodile Creek. Vitani made no time crossing the creek; I suppose her life in the savannah had dulled her fear of them. The other pirates (Smee included) had no trouble; I can only assume that Hook's fear of the ticking crocodile had been what prevented him from finding Peter's hideout so long ago.

And then we headed north by northeast, where Hangman's Tree was only a short distance away. The entire trip had been taken in silence.

Much to the pirate's detriment.

Finally, we arrived at our destination. Hangman's Tree was silent, with the same ropes and entranceways as it always had. It was a shame that something so sinister had to have happened on such a nice night, with a bright gibbous moon and not a cloud in sight. That, of course, meant we had to work fast, for Peter would see us in the open field.

"You," one of the much larger pirates addressed Vitani. "You go down there while we surround the area." This pirate pulled one of the ropes, opening the entranceways. "Any way will get you in there."

Answerless, Vitani chose a ground-level entranceway, and we descended into the hideout of the Lost Boys.

Everything was surprisingly the same as it always had been since the tree was repaired (since Hook blew it up recently. There were still hammocks strewn along the "ceiling", the large thin mattress, the clock, and even the private area for their chief Peter. The clock was the only sound heard in there as Vitani slid down the slide into the den.

A moment of observation, and then a sigh. "This was a mistake."

This was the first time I heard her speak with worry. "What do you mean?" I asked quickly; any sort of possibility we could shirk this was worth exploring.

"This plan," she began with a quavering voice. "The way we hunt is only for beasts that run away, those we can guide to our friends. But they're going to fight back, aren't they?"

"Yeah," I said feigning worry; I was getting excited. "Maybe we should abandon this whole thing and leave it to Hook and his men."

There was a time of silence between us, and for a moment I thought we could escape with our conscience—I mean our good names intact. Vitani's breathing slowed, a good sign, I thought. Her heart beat quickly and she began to pace. I took this time to hop off and make my way for the exit, just in case she decided to leave.

A few minutes passed by (there was no telling what Peter and the Lost Boys were doing) this way. Then, suddenly, Vitani stopped, looked at me . . .

And grinned.

"This is it, Jiminy."

I became nervous. "It is?"

"Yes," she said almost dreamily. "Mother wanted me to do this so I could 'get some training;' I didn't know what she meant until now."

I approached her. "Until now?"

"The chance to be in real combat! Not just guiding him towards his demise, but actually fighting for it! This is perfect!"

I hopped onto her head and eased myself towards her ear. "Now look here, Vitani: you don't need to fight them to capture them. You said yourself that all you need to do is divide and conquer.

She laughed. "I know, and if I can, I'll do that. But if they fight . . . then it will be all for the better."

I was about to say something else (I can't remember now; I was frazzled), but there was a noise from outside. It was the Lost Boys, and they were approaching fast!

"HIDE!" I didn't have to say it twice—that counts for something, right?—as she ran for an Indian drum. We hid just as the Lost Boys entered the tree.

"That was **awesome**!" Slightly yelled as he reached the bottom.

"Yeah," Nibs replied, hopping off the mattress; we had to crouch back more. "Who knew that Rita could fight?"

"I know," Cubby yelled after them. "When the Colonel snapped at her, she really **snapped** at him!"

"Chomp—Chomp," the Twins cried as they slid down. The sound of Tootles sliding down had everybody save Peter here.

"So how do you plan on doing this," I whispered, fairly frustrated. She was silent. "Vitani?"

"I'm thinking." I felt her heartbeat speed up again; I began to sweat.

Everything that followed in the next second happened in a blur. All I felt was us darting out of our hiding place, then lurching forward, then bobbing around left and right, ricocheting off of what I could not see. Then, just like that, we darted back behind the drum.

"OW!"

"What just happened?" Cubby wailed.

"Why I outta," the twins yelled.

"Hang on," Cubby said, and I could hear fabric moving. "I was scratched!"

"I was bitten!"

"I was bruised

I was bruised!"

Then I heard Vitani chuckle. "How'd you like that, Jiminy?"

What else could I think? The creature I was with had just attacked a group of innocent children! And was laughing! "Are you crazy? You coulda been seen!"

Another chuckle, and then we were at it again.

"There it is!"

"I got it!"

*OOMPH*

"Ow!"

"Ah!"

"Eee-*CRASH!*"

*Woosh*

And we were back at the drums.

"Did you see it?"

"Yeah, it looked like a small dog!"

Vitani chuckled again.

"Look!" My heart froze. "That hole's moving!"

"It escaped!"

"Let's go get it!"

Then there were the sounds of things being taken off shelves and stomping of feet as the children made their way out of the tree. All of a sudden, We bolted out again, lunged forward, and came back down. I heard a thump while I was dizzy. She didn't dash back to her place, though, and when I peeked over, I was shocked: Nibs was lying on the floor, tongue out, eyes closed. Not dead, but this nevertheless overwhelmed me.

"Oh, God! What have you done?"

Vitani was silent.

"Vitani?"

"Where was Peter?"

There was no time to think, though, as sounds of children yelling and grown men yelling came from outside. I couldn't even take a second glance at the unconscious body as Vitani dashed outside.

Out there, the five other kids were fighting the three pirates that had hidden around Hangman's Tree. Smee was trying to put Tootles in a large sack, while another was swinging a sword at the twins, and Slightly and Cubby were fighting another, much larger pirate. From a distance, we heard gunshots and a faint voice that cried, "You'll never catch me!" And then another round of gunshots. Then another.

"Peter Pan," Vitani said quietly, looking around the horizon.

It had begun.

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><p><strong>And there's part 1 of a battle that hadn't really happened in this chapter. I must again apologize if this seemed like a waste of time to you; the ideas and words just weren't coming to me on this one. <strong>

**I must inform you that I MUST go back and rewrite some of this; at one part, I thought I could balance a coming-of-age thing and thoughts of immortality in a situation where they couldn't possibly coincide together (the dilemma rises in chapter 3). So, I will be going back, actually PLANNING out this story, and making sure to get as many loose ends tied up as I can. Please expect an update between the 28th and the 31st of this month, and no sooner or later. If I don't update it by the 31st, 9:00PM PST, then I will abandon the story. This is just so I can keep on schedule and stop procrastinating.**

**And let me just express my appreciation for those who did trudge through this. I assure you that I will do everything in my power to straighten this story out. Until 2 weeks from now!**


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